Visualization of binding processes of cell-cell adhesion molecules in solution

Scientists at Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech) , the Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS), and Nagoya University have succeeded in visualizing the binding processes of a class of cell-cell adhesion molecules called cadherins in solution at the nanometer scale with sub-second time resolution. They observed a novel conformation (S-shaped) of the cadherin dimer and the conformational transitions in the binding processes were revealed by single-molecule level observations. Direct visualization of the binding processes of cadherins at the single-molecule level will provide important insights into mechanisms of tissue- and organ-level organization, and diseases (e.g. cancer invasion) caused by cell-cell adhesion defects.